Hindered by the board he serves on

Since I filed to seek the position on the CCMH Board of Trustees, certain members of the Board have been working to hinder my ability to be a representative for the citizens of Cedar County. First, I was slandered and they lied about me and my positions during the election. After I won the election, they have been working just as diligently to silence me during meetings of the Board.

The latest effort to silence my voice, and thus YOUR voice the citizens of Cedar County, has resulted in changing the meeting date and time of the Board’s meetings. For years, the Board has met on the Third Monday of each month at 11:30. This time fit perfectly into my schedule. Also, I knew that if I secured other employment, I would have to make arrangements for that time. Yes, those arrangements would have meant me not getting paid for that day.

During the August meeting, the Board voted to change the meeting time to 4PM on the  Third Wednesday of the month to accommodate another member who got a new job. This time is one that I cannot make due to my commitment to YOUR children as a bus driver for the El Dorado Springs R2 School District. I cannot attend because this is right in the middle of taking the children home, AND I can’t even call in. Why? Because it is against the law for a school bus driver to be on the phone while driving a bus.

Since the meeting and after reviewing my notes and recording, it has become apparent this is a concerted effort to get me removed from the Board. Here is a quote from the ByLaws regarding attendance:

“Section 3: Attendance. A Board attendance problem occurs when: (1) A Board member has two un-notified absences in a row (“un-notified” means the member did not call the Hospital’s Administrative Office prior to the meeting to indicate his/her anticipated absence); (2) The Board member has three notified absences in a row; or (3) The Board member misses one-third of the total number of Board meetings in the twelve-month period of April 1 to March 31. If a Board member attendance problem exists, the Board President will promptly contact the Board member to discuss the problem. The Board member’s response will be shared with the entire Board at the next Board meeting. At that meeting, the Board will decide what action to take regarding the Board member’s continued membership on the Board.”

They changed the time in a targeted manner even though I clearly stated I could not attend at that time.

I need your help to keep me on the Board and continuing to be YOUR voice.

David Bozarth

El Dorado Springs